title: Investigating factors associated with quality of life of vitiligo patients in Singapore.
abstract: Skin disease is often visible to others. People who have dermatological condition may also suffer from its psychological consequences. The purpose of this study is to explore the quality of life of patients with vitiligo and to identify factors associated with their quality of life. A descriptive correlational study was conducted with 222 patients with vitiligo recruited from two skin centres in Singapore from 2009 to 2011. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire. Three outcome variables were measured in the study: predisposal, clinical and psychological outcomes. Results showed that almost two-thirds of the participants reported vitiligo had moderate to extreme impact on their quality of life. Multiple regression analyses showed that patients who were depressed, had thyroid disease and had not used multiclear treatment were more likely to report poor quality of life. It is recommended that providing health care consultation for patients with vitiligo may help reduce depressive symptoms and maintain their psychological health, thus enhance their quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Moon Fai
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Tien Guan Steven
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Thng
authors.forename: Chen Wee Derrick
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Aw
authors.forename: Boon Kee
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Goh
authors.forename: Sze Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Tse Lert
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Chua
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012846:Singapore; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Singapore; depression; quality of life; vitiligo.